


Gumboots

by cabintardlock



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Mental Breakdown, Sherlock Being an Idiot, Sherlock Is A Bit Not Good, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 19:00:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2399309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabintardlock/pseuds/cabintardlock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock tries his best to deal with other people's breakdowns, but he just doesn't know what to say. Still, despite all his flaws, there could still be people to love him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gumboots

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of the Paul Simon Graceland album fic challenge. A bit of an AU where Sherlock met Janine somewhere other than John's wedding, and a bit rough, still enjoy! Based on the song "Gumboots" by Paul Simon.

“Are you alright John?” Sherlock asked tentatively.

 John had been acting strangely all day, and Sherlock wouldn't have brung it up, but for the fact that John seemed on the verge of a breakdown. His shoulders were hunched, and his breathing was long and seemed arduous.

“No...no Sherlock.” John said, clearing his throat and trying to straighten up as his voice cracked. “I'm not alright.”

“I apologize.” Sherlock tried, hoping that might work.

“It's not you.” John huffed in what could've been a laugh, “It's...it's my mother. I just got word that she passed away.”

Sherlock's eyes widened at this, and he began to wrack his brain, trying to think of how to deal with this new...predicament. He didn't want to treat John like another sniveling witness, John was far above that, so he decided to go with something more straightforward and genuine.

“I believed you weren't that close to her.”

“No, I wasn't.” John said as he covered his face with his hands, trying to collect himself, but still falling apart. “She was always mad at me for enlisting I suppose, but still...”

“How did she pass away?” Sherlock asked calmly, feeling a bit more in control of the situation.

“Liver disease. Dammit Sherlock, how can you be so...so clinical about it?” John said, his shoulders starting to shake as he raised his head to glare at Sherlock.

Sherlock flinched, leaning back involuntarily and mentally cursing himself that John'd chosen to do this in a cab. John turned away from Sherlock again and hunched into himself.

“Hey, breakdowns come and breakdowns go,” Sherlock said,trying to reason with the near-hysterical John, “So what are you going to do about it? That's what I'd like to know.”

John stared at him in shock for a second, before nearly whispering, “You, how could you be so inhuman? You're just a bloody machine!”

John's voice rose as he kept on talking, and when he finished he signaled for the cabbie to stop.

“I'll just get out here.” John said firmly, stepping out and slamming the door behind him. As Sherlock watched him go, he couldn't help but notice the slightest hint of a limp in John's step.

Sherlock laid his head back, sighing as he squeezed is eyes shut, wondering how that all went bad so quickly. 

* * *

 John's phone rang out in the empty flat. Sherlock glanced at it, wondering if he should pick it up. A quick glance revealed that it was Lestrade calling, so he picked up the phone and answered.

“John's phone.” Sherlock said tersely.

“Sherlock?” Lestrade asked, sounding tired and confused. “Where's John?”

“He's...out. If you were calling with a case you should've just called me.”

“No, it's not about a case.” Lestrade sighed, and Sherlock could practically see him rubbing his face.

“Well, what is it, spit it out already.” Sherlock hissed.

“It's just my wife.” Lestrade said, shocked by Sherlock's reaction.

“Cheating again? You should have listened to me the first time I told you, it's not a surprise. Maybe if you didn't work so much and gave her more attention, she wouldn't have strayed.”

“Well I didn't Sherlock, I actually trusted her because I loved her, and because I'm a human being who's actually capable of feelings.” Lestrade spat. “It's not my fault that she cheated on me, and I worked so long because it was my job, and I needed it to support her lifestyle. Bugger off!”

Sherlock took the phone from his ear for a moment, stunned by Lestrade's sudden mood shift.

“Is this my problem now, is this my fault? If that's the way it's going to be, I'm going to call the whole thing to a halt.” Sherlock said, glowering at thin air.

Lestrade didn't say a word in reply to that, he just sighed angrily and hung up the phone. Sherlock sat down heavily in John's chair, phone still held to his ear, and found himself so confused, so incapable of thought.

* * *

 Sherlock walked down the street, hands tucked into his pockets as he huffed angrily, his breath coming out in a white cloud. John hadn't returned home last night, and he had no idea why Lestrade had gotten so angry. He was just taking a quick walk to clear his head, and to escape the empty silence of the flat.

“Say, aren't we walking down the same street together on the very same day?”

Sherlock turned around at the familiar voice, and came face to face with Janine, who was blushing and looking down at the ground.

“Let's just pretend I didn't say that.” she said, smiling at him.

“Very well.” Sherlock said, not smiling, but still allowing his features to relax into a friendlier expression.

“I just thought you should know, that bloke you pointed out ended up being a complete bust.” Janine said jovially.

“Oh, did he end up secretly being a murderer?”

“No, nothing so fantastic. He was just really boring, a cute face but nothing interesting about him.”

“I see.” Sherlock said, really studying her. She was fairly beautiful and not too unintelligent, a perfectly lovely woman. “So, would you like to maybe have a drink sometime?”

“Oh, well,” Janine said, eyes wide, “I don't know, I mean, I wouldn't say you're out of my league but...you kind of are.”

Sherlock chuckled at this, saying “I don't know about that. Consider it, my number is on my site.”

“I will!” she called after his retreating back, his coat swishing satisfyingly. It was a perfect opportunity, a perfectly normal woman to help him get his mind off everything.

 

 


End file.
